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I overheard someone the other day getting upset about the overuse of symmetry. "Not everything needs to be symmetrical!" this person cried. This is certainly true. Not everything needs to be symmetrical. But it doesn't need to be asymmetrical either, does it? When faced with tough, potentially life-altering, theoretical questions such as these I usually turn to one source for answers...

A fractal is the mathematical concept of a pattern repeating at all scales. A self-similar fractal is identical at any level of magnification. How might the concept of fractals be applied to the design of the built environment?

Nostalgia is one of the most powerful forces in the design world. Associating a sight, sound, touch, smell, or taste with a particular emotion or moment in time can have profound effects on how you perceive those senses. It is the reason why the smell of suntan lotion or the sound of a lawn mower (not particularly pleasant senses on their own) can remind someone of happy summer days in the sun. For a designer, nostalgia is a way straight to someone's heart.

The Christmas season is a great example of the powerful effects of nostalgia, both good and bad...